§ Mr. Stephen Rossasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what studies have taken place to ascertain the extent of the problem of spray from the wheels of vehicles on wet roads; and what were the conclusions of these studies.
§ Mr. CarmichaelWhile it is clear that mud and spray is a nuisance, it is difficult to measure exactly its importance as a cause of accidents. However, a report published by the Transport and Road Research Laboratory estimated that interference with the driver's vision by water or mud on the windscreen was a contributory factor in about 1 per cent. of all motorway accidents in wet weather. This represents one in 245 of all motorway accidents.